Sky Ultimate TV plan claims to be 'best value' in new deal, but is it really?
Sky Ultimate TV plan claims to be 'best value' in new deal, but is it really?
We looked at the differences between the two services to figure out which is better, Essential TV or Ultimate TV
Sky offers loads of channels, but which package should you pick?
Those looking to boost their TV choices, then Sky's Ultimate TV package could be an option. Sky claims that this package offers the 'best value' of all its bundles, but is that true? Our tech expert has broken down the latest deal to see if it's worth it.
Sky Ultimate TV comes in at £22 per month. That's the price for new customers, and includes a Sky Stream box to connect to the TV. Users will also get Netflix and Discovery+, Sky Atlantic and access to 90 free-to-air channels, not to forget the bundled channels that make Ultimate TV stand out from the basic Essential TV package.
Sky Essentials only costs £15 a month, so what extra are you getting to justify the £7 a month increase? We've combed through the channels to see what's worth the money.
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The big difference between Essential TV and Ultimate TV is access to Sky Max, Sky Showcase, Sky Witness and more Sky channels, as well as National Geographic and MTV. Sky says that viewers get more than 35 more channels compared to Essential TV. That's on top of the 90+ free channels that both packages offer.
On both Sky plans, viewers get access to Netflix (the Standard with Ads plan), Discovery+ Basic, which combined are worth £8.98, so on Essential TV, everything else is really costs £6.02 a month. Another provider that offers Netflix included in the plan is EE as part of its broadband and TV combo, although it is more expensive.
Sky Ultimate TV
£22
Sky See the deals Product Description
Get Sky's 'best value' Ultimate TV package including Netflix, Discovery+ and many Sky channels
It's also worth mentions for those locked into a rival provider plan who wants access to some Sky channels. Both Virgin Media and NOW TV offer some Sky channels as paid for add ons.
Back to Sky, and the blockbuster TV channel on both services is Sky Atlantic, which is where shows like Day of the Jackal and House of the Dragon air – and both Essential TV and Ultimate TV get access to it. That's the channel that delivers the biggest new shows from the US.
That still leaves Ultimate TV with quite a lot of ground to make up across the channels that it offers to justify the extra cost. Some of Sky's channels gives access to great shows: Sky Witness, for example, is loaded with dramas like The Good Doctor and Station 19, while Sky Comedy will keep you laughing with US shows.
Sky Max and Sky Showcase replace what used to be Sky One (if you remember that) with access to shows like Brassic, A League of Their Own, SWAT and a whole lot more. That's loads of extra premium TV, day or night, that isn't offered on Essential TV. 'You can watch this live', but in some cases it's available to watch on demand too, as box sets.
The Day Of The Jackal was a key show for Sky Atlantic.
Both Sky services give customers access to all the major streaming services as well, but one of the big differences is that if viewers don't want to pay for another streaming service the Ultimate TV plan gives more streaming options than the Essential TV plan.
Is it worth the extra £7 per month? That really depends on what you want to watch and how you watch it, but consider that it's only 23p a day extra.
Given that Netflix is included, viewers can watch content on demand and have Sky Atlantic on both services, while Ultimate TV offers great value, there's no avoiding that Essential TV gives viewers access to a lot of great entertainment for less money. However, there are some things to be aware of.
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The main one being cost increases. Despite Sky's ongoing sale the provider is not exempt from the ongoing mid-contract price rises, something which is effective a lot of UK consumers and retailers put up their prices in line with inflation.
This is certainly a downside for shoppers looking to enter into one of Sky's fixed two-year contracts, potentially giving uncertainty to consumers on how much they'll be locked into paying. As the Sky site says below, both the Essential TV and Ultimate TV plans say: "Prices may change during the 24-month contract."
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